I’ve been noticing several articles coming out the past week about a strong association between hypothyroidism and a twice the risk of liver disease and liver cancer, especially in females. And then it dawned on me: another strong reason to play basketball with your trashcan using your lousy Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroxine or Eltroxin bottles while being replaced with desiccated thyroid.

In other words, continued hypothyroidism (being on the lousy T4 meds) and undiagnosed hypothyroidism (because of the inadequacy of the TSH lab test) can potentially promote the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a more severe Fatty Liver disease. The next progression is liver cancer, aka hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

it seems that Thyroxine causes liver damage! When checking my thyroxine levels with blood samples she also orders a liver function test each time.

This has caused me incredible anxiety as she is going to 'give me something to help my liver' the next time she sees me.

I am not on very good terms with her so what would you say I should ask.

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Blood tests read TSH only, unless they are done by an endo. G P 's cannot (and mostly will not) order free T3 and free T4 tests which are vital to check the balance of hormones.

You need to go by how you FEEL not blood test results nor scaremongering by un-educated persons or articles, they are all meant to dissuade you from taking thyroxine which you will die without!! How sad is that?

Thanks for coming back to me. I am concerned that there are alternatives to Thyroxine which would not cause liver damage. My doctor makes sure she tests my liver as well as thyroxine levels so there is concern there.I want to avoid anything rather than wait until something happens and then do something about it.

It is not a matter of waiting till you get an illness if your doctor insists on lowering your dosage YOU WILL get illnesses!!

What alternatives to thyroxine were you considering?

I know of none that will adequately replace your own natural thyroxine. Currently I am taking NDT which in my book is still the best option as it has no side effects nor does it incur illnesses at a later date, some people are on what many doctors would like to believe are 'high' doses but we are all different and require different amounts of meds.

Do not let your doc pull the wool over your eyes, doctors have a vested interest in getting your meds down as low as possible as well as getting bonuses for giving you other medications to control symptoms caused by an inactive or inadequate thyroid.

I would love to think that doctors work in our best interest, the truth is they don't, they just want to preserve their high paying jobs in my view.

I think my doctor is reducing my Levothyroxine as it causes fatty liver and with a gallstone it must be under attack from both sides. I don't know ahat alternatives there are to Levo, I was doing some research.

When I was on the high dose my joints were as stiff as a board and couldn't get out of bed until I had 'warmed up'.

I feel better on this lower dose but she might put me back up to 125 as my throat feels funny.

It's a disgrace the way we as thyroid patients are treat, thousands never regain a decent level of well being again!!! Do they do anything about it? No!!! It's scandalous we've all seen on forums people who HAVE gotten better after persisting and looking elsewhere! Why keep patients unwell? This wants answered there's so many if us. It's outrageous!!! And to be honest is neglect!

You ask what is NDT (dessicated T used for a 100 years) it's on the STTM link you put above, I've not heard of a specific link with fatty liver but Thyroid sufferers do seem prone to high cholesterol, gallstones, & other autoimmune diseases like pernicious anaemia, diabetes etc. & worth sorting out irons, ferritin, folate, B12 and VitD first. You may find that supplementing low minerals/vitamins will help the Levo absorb better, as well as taking it with water alone away from drinks/breakfast - or some take it at night-time.

My hubby has had HypoThyroidism for 40 years and I am so angry that he's NEVER had it made clear to him that his Thyroxine should be taken before eating anything. He's quite unwell just now. At last we've had clarification. After private consultant did MRI scan, he's got a 'flattened' gland which makes no Thyroxine at all. He's now on 125mg for six months,then redo tests. BUT whilst one pack shows instructions as per yours, on the label outside, the other doesn't. I pointed this out to the pharmacy who just said they only put on what the doctor prescribes but they've now made a note on his file at their pharmacy. It's so appalling as he'd not have believed just me if I'd told him how to take his meds. I confirmed it on the manufacturers leaflet from inside the pack, as well as online articles. He's now relying on me for this sort of thing, so I am having to make myself more aware. I am seeing the GP practice manager next week, to voice my concerns at the lack of what I see as patient care.Rant over!

Hi - I truly hope that you now have your health under control, but I would like to add a consideration for anybody else following this discussion.

Over a year ago I was informed that I had a fatty liver and told to drink less alcohol, this surprised me as I dont drink a lot of alcohol. A few months later I was diagnosed with gallstones in my gallbladder, as I had no intention of having my gallbladder removed I did some research and found 'The liver & gallbladder flush'.

I have done the 'flush' now every month for over a year and have removed many stones, not only from my gallbladder but also from my liver.

It has been a long road and I am not fully clear yet, but I have cleared my fatty liver, removed a lot of stones and no longer have gallstone problems. I now realise that I was also suffering from an underactive thyroid when I had my fatty liver and I have started to get some symptoms but I intend to comtinue the liver flush, which I think will save me from having to take medication, which only seems to make me worse. I hope this is of help to anybody who feels they are losing control of their health, sometimes we have to take actions in our hands.

I find this so fascinating and would be grateful if you tell me what your liver flush etc was. I was diagnosed withunderactive thyroid a year ago, and now gallballder and/or liver, I wonder which came first and which causes which too. I much prefer to take care of myself by eating the right things and avoiding the wrong things. I am overweight and find it very hard to drop weight despite being careful what I eat. Dont drink or smoke.

I recently have had blood test with high Liver GGT readings. I am puzzled, been searching on line for answers. I have one third of my thyroid gland and on 200mgs of eutoxsig as thyroid supllement. Been on thyroid meds for over 30 yrs now my liver reading are high 195 and should be below 60.

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